Improvement in apparatus for unhitching horses



1 tL K. HARRIS.-

Detachng Horses.

No. 62,132. Patented Feb. 19, 1867.

` AM. man-umu. go. .Y. (os animes vanessa) @uitrit tetes @anni @fittaJOHN K. HARRIS, OF MADISON, INDIANA.

Letters Paten! No. 62,132, dated February 12, 1867.

dlgs Stimuli attrib tu in tlgrsn trtteni @anni mit uniting puri nf 'thesamt TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN;

Beit known that I, JOHN K. HARRIS, of Madison, Jefferson county,Indiana, have invented a new and useful Unhitching Apparatus; andIhereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part ofthis specification.

My invention consistsv in a provision whereby a fractious or runawayhorse may be instantly Areleased by the driver.

Figure l is a perspective view, representing the front part of acarriage from which the horse has just been released.

Figure 2 represents the'rear part of the shafts, together with thereleasing strap and its accessories.

Figure 3 is an enlarged representation ofthe lock.

A represents the front portion of a carriage. The shafts B haveacustomary cross-bar, C, and are looped, D, to the front axle in theusual manner, but are entirely free from any whiiile-tree or otherattachment for the customaryL tugs or traces, which I prefer to whollydispense with, employing in their stead a tongue. E, projectingvertically upward from the harness at or about the intersection of thebreast-collar strap I?, (or the hame tug, where llames are used) andbelly-band G. A spring, H, may be employed to compensate for thealternating sido draught of the horses shoulders. My releasable lock isconstructed as follows: I is a box or frame fastened fo the under sideof the shaft, and having pivoted to it a ribratory hook, J, which, inconjunction with a stationary lip, K, affords a receptacle or socket, L,for the tongue. A spur, M, projecting' rearward from the hook, is`

caught or detained by a sliding bolt, N, which bolt is held to itsnormal or effective position by a spring, O. spring, I), serves torestore and hold the hook to lock at all times, save when yieldingtemporarily to the escaping tongue in the operation of release, ashereafter explained. The above-described details are of courseduplicated on the other side of the horse. Extending rearward underneaththe shaft, from the sliding bolt N, is a rod, Q, and from thecorresponding bolt on the other side, a similar rod, Q. These rodsengagein arms R R', that depend from a bar, S, having another arm T for theattachment of a strap, U, which, passing` rearward through an orificeeither in the carriage door or in the dash, terminates in a ring, V,convenient to the hand ofthe driver. The animal is very quickly hitchedby the insertion ofthe tongue E behind the hook J, and maybe completelyand instantaneously released by a person within the carriage pulling thestrap U suiliciently to draw back the Vholt N clear of the spur M onthchook J, which then instantly yields to the forward stress of thetongue so as to release the latter and to set the horse at liberty, Whenthe strap U becomes further useful` by enabling thc driver to hold upVthe shafts so as to prevent their entanglement with anything on theroad. The carriage having collie to rest the' driver relaxes his p11-llon the strap, and thus `permits the vibrating yhook and the slidingbolts to spring back into lock.

I have selected for illustration the form preferred by me, but do notdesire to restrict the invention thereto, as various modifications arepossible; for example, a treadle or lever may replace the ring V andstrap U, and the springs H and P may be omitted. i

I claim herein as new and of my invention- 1. The provision, upon eachshaft ofa carriage, of a vibrating hook, J, adapted to receive and holda tongue, E, upon the harness, and to be released by the driver, throughthe instrumentality of astrap, U, and its described or equivalentaccessories, substantially as set forth. 4

2. 'Ihe releasable hito-hing lock, consisting essentially of thevibrating hook J, sliding bolt N, and springs O and I), the same beingplaced under control of the driver by the strap U, and its accessories,as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

` v JOHN K. HARRIS.

` Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN.

